Sponsored Links

Ford Joins Volvo, Google, Others To Form A Self-Driving Car Coalition

Sponsored Links

Ford Motor Company has joined forces with rival automaker Volvo Cars, tech company Google, and ride-hailing companies Uber and Lyft in order to launch the “Self-Driving Coalition for Safer Streets.” The new coalition was formed in order to “work with civic organizations, municipalities and businesses to bring the vision of self-driving vehicles to America’s roads and highways.”

Former NHTSA Administrator David Strickland will serve as the Self-Driving Coalition’s counsel and spokesperson, reports The Detroit News. In a statement, Strickland said that “self-driving vehicle technology will make America’s roadways safer and less congested. The best path for this innovation is to have one clear set of federal standards, and the Coalition will work with policymakers to find the right solutions that will facilitate the deployment of self-driving vehicles.”

Mr. Strickland might find a friend and ally in current NHTSA Administrator Mark Rosekind, who’s stated on multiple occasions that self-driving cars might be a means to reduce traffic fatalities to naught.

According to The Detroit News, the NHTSA has said that it won’t push for federal self-driving car regulations, favoring leaving the matter up to individual states. However, in January, Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx revealed a 10-year, $3.9 billion initiative to create a framework for state laws regarding the matter, getting rid of obstacles that have impeded development in the past.

Sponsored Links

— Aaron Brzozowski

Aaron Brzozowski is a writer and motoring enthusiast from Detroit with an affinity for '80s German steel. He is not active on the Twitter these days, but you may send him a courier pigeon.